Monday, December 20, 2010

Rebecca Denton's Pizzelles

Ingredients
12 jumbo eggs + 2 small
2 cups oil
3 cups sugar + 2 Tbsp
About 5 cups sifted flour
8 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp anise extract
2 Tbsp vanilla
2 oz whiskey

DirectionsBeat eggs well but not foamy. Add oil. Mix. Add sugar. Blend well. Add flavors. Last add whiskey. Scoop about Tbsp amount onto pizzelle iron. Allow to cool COMPLETELY before storing in air tight container such as a tin.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Fiesta Chicken Corn Chowder

Another crock pot recipe for you. Great for a cold day!

Ingredients
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of potato soup
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups cubed chicken
1 can Mexicorn
1 jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can chopped green chilies
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Dump all ingredients, except cheese, into a crock pot and simmer until hot. Add cheese about 10 minutes before serving and stir well.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality
- This recipe can be made on the stovetop but I love to throw it all in the crockpot and leave it awhile.
- I love the mushrooms, so I use two cans.
- Although I've made this with "real" chicken, I often times make it with canned chicken. It works fine either way.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Crock Pot Chicken Marsala

Have I mentioned that I have an obsession with my crock pot?? I'm always looking for a way to cook a recipe in it and here is my latest. Super easy, hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
4 boneless chicken breasts, thawed
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basil
3 Tbsp butter
1 pkg fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup Marsala cooking wine

Directions
- Place sliced mushrooms in bottom of crock pot.
- Mix flour, salt, pepper, basil together in shallow dish.
- Dip chicken in flour mixture until well coated.
- Place chicken on top of mushrooms in crock pot.
- Pour Marsala cooking wine over chicken.
- Drizzle melted butter over chicken.
- Cook in crock pot on low until done. (About 3-4 hours)
- Serve over pasta.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality
- I didn't have time to thaw my chicken so I ran warm water over it and then dipped it -- okay more like rubbed flour on it. Didn't make any difference.
- I had Marsala cooking wine for another recipe-- bought it at Harris Teeter- but there are several substitutes you can use if you don't want to buy it. Do a google search.
- Next time I plan on using more mushrooms because they were yummy!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Danelle Blackwell's Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 15-ounce container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Directions
Cookies- Combine flour, powder, and salt. Set aside. Combine butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line the baking sheets with parchment paper, spoon the dough (about 2 tbsps per cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes at 375. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes on the baking sheets.

Glaze- combine sugar, lemon juice, zest in bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon glaze on eatch cookie and use back of spoon to spread out gently. The glaze will harden in about 2 hours.

Danelle Blackwell's Monster Cookies

Ingredients
3 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
4 1/2 cups oatmeal (not instant)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup coated chocolate candies

Directions
Mix eggs and sugars in bowl until well blended. Add softened butter and peanut butter and mix until smooth. Add vanilla and salt; mix again. Dump in oats and sprinkle in soda and powder; mix well. Fold in chips and candies. Scoop out in balls on cookie sheet, bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until edges are brown. Let cool 3 minutes before removing.

Gianna Baynard's Snowball Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Cream butter, add vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Roll into 1 inch balls and bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool and roll in powdered sugar.

Stephanie Lynn's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter flavored crisco
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Mix crisco, sugar, milk, and vanilla; then add egg. Mix dry and add to liquid. Add chips. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Amanda McWhirter's Dipped Crackers

I LOVE her recipe... hahaha... she is so honest!! I copied it exactly! Anna

___________________

Sooo... I'm not sure if these qualify as cookies but they are the only thing that I can bake.

ritz crackers
peanut butter
white chocolate almond bark
crisco

A-apply peanut butter to a ritz cracker, then put a ritz cracker on top on the peanut butter, like peanut butter crackers

B- in a double boiler (because you don't want to burn the chocolate) take a package of white chocolate almond bark mixed with a big scoop of crisco. stir until smooth.

C- Dip peanut butter crackers in white chocolate

D- Place covered peanut butter cracker on wax paper

E- Let cool

F- ENJOY!!!!

HINT: Do not make while your husband is around because he will eat all of them!

Kristin Turner's Soft Ginger Cookies

Makes 2 dozen

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 Tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tablespoons white sugar for rolling cookies

Sift flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
In large bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar till light and fluffy.
Beat in egg, then stir in water and molasses.
Gradually stir in dry ingredients.
Roll into balls and roll in remaining sugar.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten them slightly.
Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5
minutes and then transfer to wire rack. Store in airtight container.

Cristy Brice's Indian Ginger Snap Cookies

Ingredients
· 9 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
· 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
· 1 tablespoon ground ginger
· 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
· 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
· 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
· 7 ounces dark brown sugar
· 5 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
· 3 ounces molasses, by weight
· 1 large egg, room temperature
· 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
· 4 ounces finely chopped candied ginger

Directions
· Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
· In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cardamom, clove and salt.
· Place the brown sugar and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
· Add the molasses, egg and fresh ginger and beat on medium for 1 minute.
· Add the crystallized ginger and using a rubber spatula, stir to combine.
· Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until well combined.
· With a 2-teaspoon sized scoop, drop the dough onto a parchment lined half sheet pan approximately 2-inches apart.
· Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 12 minutes for slightly chewy cookies or 15 minutes for more crisp cookies.
· Rotate the pan halfway through cooking.
· Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to stay on the sheet pan for 30 seconds before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
· Repeat with all of the dough. Store in an airtight container for up 10 days.
· If desired, you may scoop and freeze the cookie dough on a sheet pan and once frozen, place in a resealable bag to store. Bake directly from the freezer as above.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Anna Blevins' Lemon Poppy Oat Lacies

Ingredients
2 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
3 cups uncooked oatmeal
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar

Directions
- Beat butter and sugar.
- Add remaining ingredients except powdered sugar, mix well.
- Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Shape dough into 1 inch balls, place on cookie sheet.
- Flatten with bottom of glass dipped in powdered sugar.
- Bake 12-15 minutes until edges are light golden brown.
- Cool one minute on baking sheet, then cool on wire racks.
- Cool completely and sprinkle with additional powdered sugar if desired.

Ashley Lanier's No Bake Twix Bars

Begin by putting a layer of Club Crackers in a 13 x 9 pan. (About 24 crackers.)

In a saucepan on the stove, combine…
* 1 c. Graham Crackers, crushed (about 6 whole crackers)
* 3/4 c. Brown Sugar
* 1/3 c. White Sugar
* 1/3 c. Milk
* 1/2 c. Margarine

Bring to a boil, continue to stir and boil for approximately 5 minutes (possibly a little less). The mixture will be caramel-like and pull away from the sides of the pan.

Pour over the crackers, being very careful, the mixture is extremely hot.

Immediately top with another layer of Club Crackers, pressing down slightly.

Place in fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.

For frosting, in small bowl, combine…

* 2/3 c. Peanut Butter

* 1 c. Milk Chocolate Chips

Microwave for 2 minutes, stir well and frost crackers.

Place in fridge until frosting is firm. Cut into bars.

(These no-bake Twix Bars were 2nd place at the Indiana State Fair several years back.)

Marie Short's Easy Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients

1 Pouch Sugar Cookie Mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 to 1/2 mint extract
8 drops green food coloring
1 egg
1 cup creme de menthe baking chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions
Mix cookie mix, butter, extract, food coloring, and egg in a bowl. Stir in creme de menthe chips and chocolate chunks. Drop dough on 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Grape Salad

While this didn't sound appealing to me, I loved it when a coworker brought it to a potluck last week. I think I'll serve it in a pretty glass bowl instead of a 9 X 13 pan.


Ingredients:
4 cups each seedless red and green grapes

8 oz sour cream

8 oz cream cheese

½ cup sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

¾ to 1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup light brown sugar


Directions:
Mix sour cream, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Stir in halved grapes. Place in 9 X 13 glass dish. Top with brown sugar and pecans.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Waffle Iron Cookies

I've had this recipe for SEVERAL years, but have never made them. In trying to find a recipe for my cookie exchange on Monday, I tried this one out. It is more like a brownie than a cookie, so I've decided to not use it for the exchange. However, it is a yummy recipe! And how fun it is to use a waffle iron to make cookies-- super FAST!!

Cookie Ingredients:
4 squares melted chocolate
1 cup butter (softened)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Melt chocolate and add butter, beat in eggs and sugar. Fold in flour and vanilla. Drop by teaspoons on a heated waffle iron, timing 90-120 seconds when cover is down. Frost while warm if desired.

Frosting Ingredients:
2 squares chocolate
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 box plus 1 cup powdered sugar

Melt chocolate and butter together, add vanilla and sugar. Mix well, spread on cookies.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- I ran out of chocolate baking squares but the back of a can of cocoa gives you the equivalent substitution. (1 square is 1 ounce of chocolate.)
- I did NOT frost mine. They were yummy without frosting.
- The time will vary based on your waffle iron temperature and how big you make your cookies.